Columbia University vs University of California—Berkeley

This page compares Columbia University and University of California—Berkeley across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 73 applicants admitted to both.

Based on 73 applicants admitted to both schools, 78% chose to attend Columbia University. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.

Both schools are closely ranked in U.S. News: #10 and #13, separated by just 3 positions, making cross-admit data especially useful for deciding between them.

Columbia University is located in New York City, New York, while University of California—Berkeley is in Berkeley, California. Regional placement matters: graduates tend to find employment near their law school, so location should factor into your decision alongside rankings and cost.

Employment outcomes differ substantially: Columbia University places 65.4% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 52.2% for the other school. This 13 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.

On cost, University of California—Berkeley has lower tuition at $62,532 per year compared to $85,368. Combined with employment rates of 95.6% (CLS) and 93.6% (UCBerkeley), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.

Among cross-admitted applicants, University of California—Berkeley offered a median scholarship of $120,000 compared to $100,000, a difference of $20,000 that may factor into enrollment decisions.